1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fender panel structures.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, when assembling an automotive fender panel and a bumper facia that form an outer plate of a bumper, they are coupled together via a bumper bracket made of resin. This bumper bracket is mounted to the fender panel by means of a bolt or a clip, or the like. Moreover, a claw part which is provided at an end part of the bumper facia fits into a groove which is provided in this bumper bracket so as to couple the fender panel to the bumper facia. Such a structure improves the workability concerning mounting and demounting of the bumper facia in addition to securing the coupling strength between the fender panel and the bumper facia. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2005-297708 discloses an example of such a fender panel structure.
Moreover, conventionally, when simultaneously coating the fender panel made of resin and the vehicle body frame in a vehicle assembly line, heat softens and deforms the fender panel, because the temperature in a paint oven becomes extremely high. For this reason, in order to restrict the deforming direction in this deformation to a desired direction, the fender panel is mounted to the vehicle body frame using a dedicated sliding clip, washer, or the like. Accordingly, the fender panel may contract to its original shape when it comes out of the paint oven and is cooled. Japanese Examined Utility Model Publication No. Hei 6-18858 discloses an example of such a fender panel structure.
However, in the fender panel structure disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2005-297708, the cost increases because such a fender panel structure needs the bumper bracket for coupling the fender panel with the bumper facia. Moreover, because a plurality of members are used, it is difficult to secure parts accuracy and the alignment at the joint part between the fender panel and the bumper facia becomes poor. Furthermore, in a case where the fender panel is formed of resin, the rigidity at an edge, particularly at a corner of the edge decreases as compared with a case where it is formed of sheet metal. As a result, this portion will deform easily, and this deformation needs to be suppressed.
Moreover, in the fender panel structure disclosed in Japanese Examined Utility Model Publication No. Hei 6-18858, a dedicated sliding clip, washer, or the like may sometimes not be installed. This problem occurs in a case where an aligning portion with the bumper facia, at a front part of the fender panel, is located distant from the vehicle body frame, or where a space for installing the dedicated sliding clip, washer, or the like is difficult to secure. In these cases, the front part of the fender panel extends downward at heating in the paint oven and may not contract to the original location due to its own empty weight even when it comes out of the paint oven and is cooled. As a result, this causes a strain throughout the fender panel.
Accordingly, the present invention is intended to provide a fender panel structure capable of mounting a bumper facia to a fender panel accurately while improving the alignment at the joint part without using a bumper bracket as a separate part. In this fender panel structure, the fender panel structure is further capable of restricting a deformation in a desired direction without restricting a deformation to the forward of the front part of the fender panel, or to the direction parallel to a hood panel.